This is my 4th armour subject and i’m pretty pleased with how it’s gone. The kit was built straight out of the box, no fancy stuff until i’ve learned a little more. Please let me know what you all think.
One question? I want to fix an Antanna. Never tried the stetched sprue method but I’m not sure about that idea. On my last armour model, Chieftain Mk5, I used an old violin string but I’m not sure if I like that method either?
The violin string antenna on my Chieftain:
Anyway take a look at the pics and any help is most welcome.
HI Basspaint
nice pics, I seem to remember Accurate Armour (OR somebody!, can’t find any reviews) doing some Carbon Fibre Antennas, but just checked page & can’t find it!
You might consider Fishing tackle trace wire, (medium weights good for tow cables, btw)
or even heavier weight nylon fishing line by itself, but i don’t know if this available in black or green…
Enjoy
Good looking tanks. Ditto on the weathering, just how I like it.
Stretched sprue works just fine. Simply heat it till the sprue starts to become flexible, then gently pull the two ends apart. Cut to length and glue it on. It is free too. Another option is to buy some plastic rod, I use 0.020 rod. One bag will give you a bunch of antennae.
Thanks PhilH
I knew somebody would find the AA page…
I’m more apt to ‘re-model’ my eyebrows with candle, when doing stretch sprue, [|(]
& tip re 10thou rod is a good one Heavy Arty, I did have some in black & red from Slaters’ Plasticard, (UK brand) many years ago…
I’ve tried stretched sprue, fishing line, brass rod, electrical wire, and styrene rod; my advice to you is stick with the music wire.
I don’t think there’s anything better (Obviously I haven’t tried the carbon fiber stuff). It has amazing flexibility, and doesn’t bend, break, kink, or do any of the other horrible things the other substances tend to exhibit from time to time. Even with its flexibility, I think it also maintains more of a “straightness” at all lengths.
I also find that if I desire to tie back my antennae to a bustle rack or other device, the music wire will bend more realistically.
It’s great when transporting your kits within a closed box. It won’t deform if you accidentally close a lid on it. And if you don’t glue it in place, you can remove it from its holder, put it in the box with the model, and re-insert it when you get where you’re going. No muss, no fuss…
Your model kits look great! I wish my fourth or fifth kit looked as good as yours do. However, it appears that there are a lot of small mold parting seams still on some of the smaller parts that should be removed. In addition, a few of the guide teeth on your Chally have some extra plastic bits still hanging on (Note the varying lengths on the last picture.).
Thanks to everyone for the advice. I’ve only been doing this for a year and it’s great to be able to get such good feedback. Having read all the comments and looked at the pictures I can see that I must pay much more attention to smaller details and stop rushing on just to get the thing finished. I don’t display my models or compete, the joy for me is all in the building/painting, so why do I rush?
I’m going to try the stretched sprue, just because it’s something I’ve never done and I should try it. If the result isn’t what i’m looking for I’ll take the wire cutters to the guitar. But which string G,B or E?
As a fisherman(die hard at that), for antenna’s I would try for a stiff monofilimant. For a cable I would try heavier test Spyderwire(expensive but a SMALL spool will last forever and it’s normally green and could be soaked with a thinned acrylic to get a different color on it). For the antenna I would look into maxima as it is rather stiff, but it does have alot of “memory” which might prevent it from holding the shape you want, but it’s possible to retrain it. Higher quality lines are too limp and won’t really stand on end.
